Hey Detroiters, welcome back to Culture Canvas!
I recently spoke with John Conyers III, the son of late Detroit congressman John Conyers Jr., about his first book, “My Father’s House,” which comes out Tuesday at major bookstores and retailers.
In the book, Conyers III gives an inside look at the complicated relationship he had with his “Pop,” who closed out his historic career with a 2017 resignation from Congress amid allegations of sexual harassment. The younger Conyers also details his dynamic with his mother, Monica Conyers, a former Detroit City Council president, who spent three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to using her position on the council and a city pension board to solicit bribes.
Conyers III weaves together details of Conyers Jr.’s career and Detroit and American history. He also writes about coming of age in Detroit, his attempts at political office and interactions with his “uncles:” the late Detroit judge Damon Keith, former President Bill Clinton and civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Here’s a peek at the Q&A:
BridgeDetroit: How did the writing process start?
Conyers III: I did a lot of looking at my old interviews. I did my first interview in 2009 with my father. We had a manuscript that my father had worked on and my agent and I just really had an honest conversation on why publishers probably wouldn’t put this out because my father isn’t here for final approval. We repurposed a lot of the things that were already in the older manuscript. I wove in the history of the city and highlighted a lot of older luminaries that we don’t really talk about, like (civil rights activist and Conyers’ field representative) Arthur Featherstone. I really tried to weave those kinds of folks into the story because they’re part of my father’s story. There are folks that are often forgotten when we talk about Black political power in the city of Detroit.
BridgeDetroit: You write about your relationship with your father in the book. Were the two of you close?
Conyers III: We weren’t always close; we ended up getting close. I would say, probably the 10 years prior to his death. When I was 18 or 19, I confronted him about what it was like growing up as the son of John Conyers and his absences. The first time I tried to have that conversation, he wasn’t prepared to have it. The second time I broached the subject, he took accountability for that and we were able to move forward and form a really close and tight bond.
BridgeDetroit: When you were growing up, what part of the city did you live in? What was your childhood like?
Conyers III: We lived in the Palmer Woods/Palmer Park area. That’s the house I grew up in, but I spent the majority of my time with my mother’s (Monica Conyers’) side of the family on West Chicago and Wyoming.
In terms of what shaped my formative years, I was understanding and seeing the duality of these worlds, right? I go home and go to sleep in one of the nicest areas in the city. But I spent a lot of my time playing basketball and doing all the things in one of the worst parts of the city. That really gave me a perspective at an early age, without anyone ever telling me. I could see the difference (between the two Detroits), I could always see the difference.
BridgeDetroit: Your father knew so many politicians and influential people like former President Bill Clinton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder. Do you remember people coming by the house when you were growing up?
Conyers III: Every Christmas we got something in the mail from Berry Gordy, and I used to look forward to them (the gifts) all the time. I really appreciated how I was raised because none of this stuff was important to my father. I admire him for being so consistent about his disregard for high society life. He was there to do the work, and so, there was never any importance placed on being with (influential) people. Everything was normal. My dad wasn’t like, ‘I’m about to meet with the president.’ He was just like, ‘Oh, that’s Bill Clinton.’
Here’s the full story.
As always, have a great week!
Cheers,
Micah
313 Scene
- In celebration of Mother’s Day, jazz musician Marion Hayden and fellow Detroiters DJ ameera haynes, artist Yvette Rock and Buffalo Prescott founder Samara Furlong shared stories with BridgeDetroit on the balance of raising children with their creative careers.
- Stewart Francke, a beloved figure in Detroit’s music scene whose mix of rock, soul and folk earned him a loyal following, has died. He was 66. According to the family, he died on the morning of May 9 of complications related to a stroke he suffered in 2019. (Detroit Free Press)
- Smokey Robinson — the singer, songwriter, producer and celebrity who had a vital role in building the Motown record label — is facing a $50 million civil lawsuit filled with racy allegations that, proven or not, threaten to damage his reputation and legacy. In documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, four women, each identified as Jane Doe to protect their privacy, accused Robinson of an array of offenses that their attorney said included “sexual misconduct of the worst sort.” (Detroit Free Press)
- The James Scott Memorial Fountain at Belle Isle will soon undergo $6 million in renovations, ensuring its beauty and functionality for the next century. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will start the 18-month project this summer, 100 years after the fountain first delighted visitors in 1925. The fountain plaza, adjacent sidewalk and Fountain Drive will be closed to the public through 2026. The MDNR expects the fountain to be operating again by May 2027. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
- Detroit filmmaker Qasim Basir’s new movie, “To Live and Die and Live,” opens Friday in select AMC Theaters. In the movie, Amin Joseph plays Muhammad Abdullah, a Los Angeles filmmaker who returns home to Detroit following the death of his stepfather. (The Detroit News)
- The third time may be the charm for Mojo, WKQI-FM’s (Channel 955) long-running morning show host, who is nominated for induction into the Radio Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class. The “Mojo in the Morning” host was previously nominated in 2022 and 2024. Mojo is part of a class of 24 nominees, which includes Alice Cooper, D.L. Hughley, Funkmaster Flex and Martha Quinn. Eight inductees will join this year’s Hall of Fame class, six chosen by voters and two by the Radio Hall of Fame’s nominating committee. (The Detroit News)
What’s Going on in the D?
- Detroit Social Events is hosting “Pour It Forward: An Evening with Don Julio” from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday at the beer hall The Brakeman. The fundraiser will aid families affected by the February Southwest Detroit water main break. All tickets include a philanthropic contribution of the full ticket amount to the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation and Urban Neighborhood Initiative’s flood relief efforts, first cocktail and premium cash bar of Don Julio and Diageo Spirits, a buffet dinner from Penny Red’s, entry into the grand prize drawing and a silent auction. General admission tickets are $46, while the VIP tickets are $83 on Eventbrite.
- The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is hosting “America, I am: From Injustice to Redemption” from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday. Inspired by New York’s Exonerated Five, the community-centered event uplifts the voices of Detroit-based exonerees as they share stories of injustice, resilience and transformation through storytelling, poetry and music. Guests include social justice organizer, poet and author Tawana Petty, community activist and author Yusef “Bunchy” Shakur, justice reform advocate and motivational speaker Marvin Cotton Jr., spoken word artist AyLaina Thornton and prison abolitionist organizer Siwatu-Salama Ra. While the event is free, registration is required.
- The city of Detroit, in collaboration with the Amp Fiddler Estate, is hosting a street sign unveiling for the late Detroit musician at 11 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Seven Mile and Revere Street. The renowned keyboardist and songwriter is credited with nurturing talents of young aspiring artists and teaching production skills, including the late J Dilla. Fiddler died in 2023 after a battle with cancer.
- The Redford Theatre is showing the world premiere of “Old Heart” 8 p.m. Saturday. Shortly after the southern Netherlands is liberated in the fall of 1944 during World War II, Army Private Tom Johnson (Jamelle Sargent) teams up with Dutch translator Sarah van Praag (Amsterdam actress Eva Doueri) to help smuggle food and supplies to starving people in the north trapped behind Nazi lines. Sixty years later Johnson, now 85, returns to the Netherlands to find the love of his life. Starring Detroit’s Edward Gaines, the film, shot in the Netherlands and Michigan, features Diane van Wesep, Shannon Huneryager, Zaneta Adams, Kurt Schroeder and Roosevelt Johnson. Tickets are $15 or $45 for entry into a VIP event starting at 6 p.m.
- Pop star Post Malone is bringing his “The Big Ass Stadium Tour” to Ford Field beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. He’ll be joined by country singers Jelly Roll, Sierra Ferrell and Chandler Walters. Tickers are still available, starting at $100 on Ticketmaster.
